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2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic forced architectural students around the world to go virtual with their classes and coursework, transforming the way architecture was both taught and learned. Once based primarily on in-class participation, and collaboration, architectural workshops had to take on whole new methods of instruction. Conversations and debates between students and their instructors, a key element of architectural education were relegated to phone and video calls as well as written documents, making digital formatting an essential tool for students to share their ideas and receive feedback on their work.
Visualizing an idea is an essential part of the design process and allows students to share their proposals with their peers and their teachers as well as allowing themselves to glimpse the strengths and weaknesses of their design. These visuals represent communication, observation, and intention. During the first years of architectural school, analogical means of illustration, like drawings and models, are the go-to for students to express their ideas, especially since digital tools tend to be in short supply and often water down the process of developing ideas. These initial stages of architectural education are a time to learn how to "think" about architecture rather than how to "present" it.